I don't know exactly what happened, but somewhere along the line this week, it got nasty outside. I'm all for a chill in the air come October, but chilly rain? Blech!

Extraordinarily bad weather means we've got to have some extraordinarly good events to coax you out of that house. So how about these?

Tonight, head to the Central Library for readings from "Poe: 19 New Tales" with authors Ellen Datlow, Gregory Frost and John Langan. Horror, fantasy and "weird fiction" fans won't want to miss this latest generation of writers, keeping Poe's legacy alive.

Tomorrow night, Dr. Cornel West returns, also to the Central Library, this time to discuss his latest book: "Brother West: Living and Loving Out Loud." The memoir follows his life, and how he came to love both learning and teaching.

On Saturday, Montgomery College in Rockville hosts the 14th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference. With writers workshops, literary panels and honored guest Julia Alvarez, author of "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents," I suggest you register ASAP.

Finally, The Ivy will host award-winning author David Schmahmann on Wednesday evening. Schmahmann will discuss and sign his new novel, "Nibble & Kuhn," a satire of today's modern law firms and law practices in general. Feeling disaffected? This guy's book will speak to you.

Be brave, my bookish friends: Steel yourself against the bad weather, and have some literary fun. And if you need some more enticing, check out the Read Street calendar, with plenty more events.